Aeroplane



W. L. DENHAM.

AAAAAAAAA Patente J une 20 1922.,..

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APPLICATION mso NOV.6, 1920.

PatentedJune 20, 1922.'.

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A TTORVEYS W/TNESSES 'w. L, DENHAM. AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FI LED NO V. Gfl920.

1 41 93629 Patenwuezo, 1922;

' A TTORNEYS j rear the vertical rudder ETED STATES PATENT oFFcE,

AEBOPLANE.

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Speeificatio of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1922.

Application filed November 6, 1920. Serial No. 422228.

To all wlom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM L. DENI-JAM', a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ae'roplanes. of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an Planes, and has for machine having in a horizontal plane about a point fixed with respect to the fuselage of the machine, in order to 'exert a direct lifting force, to enable the machine to climb or descend upon an even keel without tilting, as required in the present type of nachine.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the im proved machine,

Figure 2 is a side view,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the connection between the guys and the track, l

,Figure 4 is a sectional detail showing the brake mechanism,

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fi re 4.

n the present embodiment of the invenits object to provide a tion, a fuselage 1 is provided of any usual or desired construction having at the front thereof the propeller 2 and having at the rudders 4. A super-structure in the form of a spherical or ovoid ring 5 is spported by the fuselage, the plane of the ring extending longitudinally of the fuselage, and upon this superstmcture there is monted three tracks 6, 7 and 8, the track 8 being at the fuselage, while the' track 7 is slightly above the center of the' ring, and the-*track G 'is near the top. 4 These-tracks are circular` and the track 7 is double, consisting of Similar portions 7 and T A series of wings is provided. each wing 9 consisting of upper and lower planes spaced by s'truts and braced together as shown with the usual'truss construction. These wings are arranged in two series, one series of four between the planes of the tracks 6 and 7, and

the other series also of tour between the planes of the tracks 7 and 8.

The members of the series are arrauged in vertical register. each wing carrying a motor indicated at 1.0, which drives the propeller indicated at 11. The wings of the upper sethe series as a improvement in aero-' planes monted for rotation,

3 and the horizontal sets of grooved wheels -one ries have their propellers a'ranged to drive whole in the opposite directon to the direction in wlich the plaues of the lower series are driven by their propellers. That is, the upper series wlen in operation will rotate in the-opposite di'ection to the lower series. These wings are connected to the three tracks rotatably by means of guys 12, 13 and 14. The guys 12 extend upwardly and inwardly from' the upper wings, While the guys 14 extend downwardly and inwardly from the lower wings.

The guys 13 extend inwardly from the upper and lower planes, and these latter guys are connected with mechanism which runs upon the track 7.. The guys 12 are connect'ed with mechanism which runs upon the track are connected with mecha-` 6, and the guys 14 nism which runs upon the track 8. Since all of this mechanism is Similar, only that for the track 7 is shown.

The mechanism for the guys 13 of the upper wings consists of a circular rim 14 having ring 15 to which the guys are connected. and having a series of arms 16 extending in the opposite direction to the rings, and each provided With a cross pin upon which grooved rollers 17 are journaled, *the rollers being on 'the opposite sides of the arm.

Each of the tracks 6. 7 and 8 is a channelslaped body, having the bottom of the channel 'secured to the super-structure 5 and having the side walls of the channel provided with inwardly extending flanges 18 forming tracks with which the grooved rollers 17 engage.` The tracks 7 are so shapedthat the wheels 17 will run .smoothly upon the inturned edges of the side walls of the chan nel. and the rim 14 is curved transversely to fit about the track as shown.

A Similar rim 19 is eonnected with the guys 13 of the lower wings, the said rm' having the 'ings 20 with which the guys are connected. and the a-ms 21 which carry the grooved wheels 22. The rims for the guys 12 and 14. are in principle the same as those shown in Figure 3. All of these rims run smoothly upon the circular tracks when the wings are revolved about the super-structure.-

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the rims for the tracksfi and 8 have eight rings for connection with the guys and eight set being directlyabove the wings. and one set between I rangement is such that as the rim the wings. For the rims 14 and 19 at the tracks 7 eight sets of wheels are provided, the sets being between the wings.

The wings of each series are connected by a-rim 23 with which the wings of each series are connected the upper and lower planes being connected to the rim. These rims provide a rigid support for the wings, being securely trussed as shown to the inner rims Ma -19 and thefirim at track 6 and track 8, and from which the wings extend radially In Figures l and 5, there is shown a brake. \Vith this arrangement 'a casng 24 is provided, which is secured to one of the tracks 7 or 7 Within this casing there is arranged a plunger 25 having' connected therewith a sten 26, and the plunger is normally pressed in one direct-ion by a coil spring 27 which encircles the stem between the 'plunger and the end of the casing. This stem 26 has a hook 28 at its outer end, and the hook is ada-pted to be engaged by a hook 29 on a lever 30 bearing on its opposite end a wing or fin, said lever being pivoted to a bracket plate 31 on one of the rims 14:

or 19, thatis, on' that rim which is adj acent to the track carrying the casing. That is, the end of lever 30 opposite the hook 29 is provided with a wing or` fin. The armoves and the planes are in forward motion, the hook 29 on the bracket plate 31 carrying the fin or ring above described and'` which is fastened to the same rim as the planes and revolves in the same direction therewith, while the casing 24: is attached to the track, the air currents striking the. 'fin or wing will bear it down and raise the hook 29 clear of the casing 24:, thereby allowing the hooks to pass over each other freely. Shouldthe planes for any reason be stopped in mid air, immediately the fuselage with the planes, etc., would begin to fall, which would cause a. reverse motion to be set up by the planes and rims, bearing the hooks and in this way the air currents would then pick up the fin or wing, thereby lowering the hook 29 and bring it into *engagement with the hook 28 so as to stop the reverse motion of the plane. ..The spring 27 will be compressed, and the movement of the planes will be braked. Upon 'the fuselage there is arranged at the rear thereof another propeller 32 which is .provided for assisting the forward propeller when necessary, as for instance in turning or the like.

The motors carried by the wings are to be driven electrically from dynamo located in the fuselage by means of trolley wires which will encircle the super-structure. tors will carry trolley wheels contacting With the trolled wires.

I claim 1. In c'ombination a fuselage having a vertical super-structure, a series of tracks mounted on the super-structure, each track being circular and having its plane horizontal, a plurality of series of wings supported by the tracks and mounted to -revolve about the super-structure, ing the means for revolvupper series of wings, means for revolving the lower series ot'wings in the opposite direction, and means for propelling the fuselage forwardly, the tracks being channel-shaped and having their channels outwardly and having the walls turned 'inwardly to 'form edges, rims encircling the tracks and having grooved wheels within the tracks and engaging the inturned edges, and guys between the wings and the rims, the propel- -ling means for the wings comprising independent motors, a. motor being provided for each wing, and a. propeller in connection with each motor.

2. In combination, a fuselage having a vertical super-structure, a series of tracks mounted on the super-structure, each track being circular and having its plane horzontal, a plurality of series of wings suported by the tracks and mounted to revolve about the super-structure, means for revolving the upper series of wings, means for revolving'the lower series of wings in the opposite direction, and means for propelling the fuselage forwardly, the tracks being channel-shaped and having their channels outwardly` and having the edges of the side walls turned inwardly to form bearing edges, rims encircling the tracks and having grooved wheels within the tracks and 'engaging the inturned edges, the wings and the rims.

3. In combination, a fuselage supporting a series of superposed tracks having their planes parallel, a rim mounted to rotate The- Inol and guys between edges of the side bearing about each track, each rim carrying a series edges.

WILLIAM 'LEsLE DENHAM. 

